By Shelley Shan / Staff reporterShipping service operators have expressed concern that the US’ decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal could trigger a further rise in oil prices and raise operational costs. It remains to be seen if Iran’s oil production will be affected by the US’ decision, but the US could increase its shale oil production to help balance oil prices, Hsieh said. It is difficult to estimate the effects from rising oil prices on Yang Ming, as factors such as cargo volume and cargo transportation service prices need to be taken into consideration, Hsieh said. Yang Ming and several other global sea liners last month launched the THE Alliance, which aims to raise the berth utilization rate and lower transportation costs. It last year posted a net profit of NT$320.85 million, compared with a net loss of NT$14.91 billion in 2016.

Source: Taipei Times May 13, 2018 15:56 UTC